They all ran. The Librarian tried to stick near Alice. They hid in a cart, lying under the blue tarp, illuminated by the high sun while the sounds of gunfire popped through the air. The Librarian reached for her last gun, which was strapped to her side, but the girl lying next to her grasped at her hand. Looking over, she could see Alice, blue from the lit up tarp, wide eyed and shaking. Turning her head back up, she squeezed Alice’s hand back.
Suddenly the sheet was lifted up, the caravan leader had spotted them. Blinded by the bright light, the Librarian and Alice could only wince and blink as they listened to the woman try to offer them up to the opposing faction. Her pleas were only met with more gunshots. Her vision clearing, The Librarian could see the men in uniforms lining up caravan members to be shot. The caravan leader and her remaining members, realizing their ploy would not work turned their focus from the pair and onto combat with the uniformed thugs. The Librarian gestured to Alice and they both ran once more.
As they ran once more through the caravan, they could see the chaos breaking out. They’d lost Miles and the female stranger, though they had tried to save her, was on her own now. The librarian lamented though there was no way she could have saved her at this point, she barely escaped with Alice.
There was a sudden “blam” and through The Librarian’s peripheral vision she saw a splash of blood. She froze in her tracks and turned. Alice had fallen to the ground clutching at her foot. The Librarian wasted no time. She could see a run down shelter up ahead. Grabbing the girl under her arm and around her side, she hoisted Alice up and through the battlefield. They got inside just in time.
The Librarian checked her pack, luckily she still had her first aid kit. In a shared silence, she patched the younger girl up. It reminded her of the first time she got shot. She was only ten, chased throughout the halls of her home by an intruder. He was a middle aged man, emaciated by hunger, eyes glazed over with greed. She couldn’t outrun him for very long, being so small. It was still hazy all these years later. She remembered feeling pain in her shoulder and falling to the ground. She remembered fear, and a struggle. She remembered the shot, the one she fired when she got back the gun.
There was nothing glorious or vengeful about it. She remembered staring at the holed out inside of the man’s head and the blood and brains that covered her all alone with no one to help her or tell her she was going to be ok, non, she would never be the same.
Present gunfire woke the Librarian out of her thoughts and at the scared girl in front of her. She moved to the wall where Alice sat up against and went along side her. Outside the gunfire blazed and the two women sat motionless and quiet. The Librarian then, looked at Alice for just a moment. Turning her head back, this time, she grabbed the young girls hand. Not letting go, she told her it was going to be ok.
Suddenly the sheet was lifted up, the caravan leader had spotted them. Blinded by the bright light, the Librarian and Alice could only wince and blink as they listened to the woman try to offer them up to the opposing faction. Her pleas were only met with more gunshots. Her vision clearing, The Librarian could see the men in uniforms lining up caravan members to be shot. The caravan leader and her remaining members, realizing their ploy would not work turned their focus from the pair and onto combat with the uniformed thugs. The Librarian gestured to Alice and they both ran once more.
As they ran once more through the caravan, they could see the chaos breaking out. They’d lost Miles and the female stranger, though they had tried to save her, was on her own now. The librarian lamented though there was no way she could have saved her at this point, she barely escaped with Alice.
There was a sudden “blam” and through The Librarian’s peripheral vision she saw a splash of blood. She froze in her tracks and turned. Alice had fallen to the ground clutching at her foot. The Librarian wasted no time. She could see a run down shelter up ahead. Grabbing the girl under her arm and around her side, she hoisted Alice up and through the battlefield. They got inside just in time.
The Librarian checked her pack, luckily she still had her first aid kit. In a shared silence, she patched the younger girl up. It reminded her of the first time she got shot. She was only ten, chased throughout the halls of her home by an intruder. He was a middle aged man, emaciated by hunger, eyes glazed over with greed. She couldn’t outrun him for very long, being so small. It was still hazy all these years later. She remembered feeling pain in her shoulder and falling to the ground. She remembered fear, and a struggle. She remembered the shot, the one she fired when she got back the gun.
There was nothing glorious or vengeful about it. She remembered staring at the holed out inside of the man’s head and the blood and brains that covered her all alone with no one to help her or tell her she was going to be ok, non, she would never be the same.
Present gunfire woke the Librarian out of her thoughts and at the scared girl in front of her. She moved to the wall where Alice sat up against and went along side her. Outside the gunfire blazed and the two women sat motionless and quiet. The Librarian then, looked at Alice for just a moment. Turning her head back, this time, she grabbed the young girls hand. Not letting go, she told her it was going to be ok.